Sanctuary City and Senate Dems: Si Se Puede

Late last night after 11:00 p.m., Lt. Governor David Dewhurst allowed HB 12, the Sanctuary Cities bill, to come up for a vote in the Senate chamber. True to their word, the Senate Democrats blocked it from coming up 12 – 19.

Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa said that the bill’s opponents would have filibustered the measure if it had come up for debate, killing many good bills up to the deadline of midnight Wednesday, according to the Dallas Morning News.

Bringing up the vote to suspend allowed both supporters and opponents to state their case for the record, he said.

“This bill had been on life support, we just pulled the plug tonight,” Hinojosa said.

It’s not over yet, however. Wednesday is a crucial day. Senator Tommy Williams, R-Woodlands, the Senate sponsor of the bill could still attach the bill by a simple majority to another piece of legislation — if he can find one that is germane. This seems like it will be a tall order, however. And there’s always the unpredictability of the House.

Melissa del Bosque is a staff writer and a 2016-17 Lannan Fellow at The Investigative Fund.

Enter your email

You May Also Like:

Only Texans with intractable epilepsy can currently use medical cannabis. As new legislation heading toward the governor’s desk adds a few more conditions to the list, advocates wish lawmakers had gone further and Republicans fret about a "slippery slope."
by Vicky Camarillo